Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

So let’s move on from that and see how this most recent move affects the Royals’ Triple A affiliate. Much like the starting rotation, the second base spot at Omaha appears to be somewhat crowded. Lee Warren wrote an article yesterday on the Storm Chasers’ probable roster, containing quotes from the manager, Mike Jirschele. In it, Jirschele mentions that Gio will be sharing time with 2010 first round draft pick, Christian Colon. Says Jirschele: Colon “could possibly be an everyday second baseman in the big leagues, we feel. He’s going to have to get over there and get a lot of playing time.”

Colon has spent a majority of his career at shortstop, but there have been questions about his ability to handle the position defensively. Many feel his future is at second base, and apparently the Royals agree. Others who could also take starts away from Giavotella include Irving Falu, Anthony Seratelli, and Rey Navarro. Falu and Seratelli are more in the mold of utility players, and Navarro’s defense may be better than the other players, but there are questions about his bat. Realistically, the two main candidates for manning the keystone will be Giavotella and Colon.

It will be very telling of how the Royals feel about each player based upon the amount of playing time each receives at second base in Omaha. If Giavotella seems to be getting most of the starts, then perhaps the organization still feels like he could be a contributor to the big league club. But if Colon is playing most of the Storm Chasers’ innings there, I think it would be safe to say the front office sees Colon as the better replacement for Getz.

Personally, I wouldn’t understand that decision at all, based upon both players’ track records. Giavotella has done nothing but hit at every level (sans his extremely limited 376 plate appearances in Kansas City), while Colon has been disappointing in his 3 professional seasons. And even though Colon’s defensive prowess may be greater than Gio’s, I feel that Giavotella’s shortcomings in that department have been massively overblown. I see Giavotella as a guy with slightly limited range, but a strong arm and average hands. His defense would certainly play at the next level, if only given a real opportunity, and — oops.

I need to get back on track before I start bleeding out of my ears.

There are ways around this logjam, of course. Earlier this spring, Ned Yost mentioned the possibility of giving Giavotella some time in the outfield, so Omaha may try a lineup where Gio plays in left field, although I don’t know if that will work out terribly well. Colon could spend more time at shortstop, but if the Royals see him as a future second baseman, they will likely prefer he start getting more reps at that position. Then, of course, there is the option of trading someone.

I’m sure there are general managers that see Giavotella as a player who could still succeed, so if Dayton Moore doesn’t see him as a real candidate for the second baseman of the future, Gio could be a part of a trade package. Some other teams could see Colon as having more potential, and if the right offer came along, Moore could choose to make that deal. On the other hand, if Colon continues to fall short of expectations at the plate, the organization could decide to move on from him and just give the playing time to Giavotella.

I won’t pretend to know what the Royals will do with this situation, since we clearly are not operating on the same wavelength. I would love to see Gio get a full season to prove himself. If the organization doesn’t think he’s capable of being even an average major leaguer, then I hope Colon finally starts to produce at a level one would expect from a top 5 draft pick. Regardless of which second baseman the Royals prefer, I’m looking forward to some real games, where we hopefully will get a clearer picture of which direction the team wants to go.

Earlier on Monday, they’d sent Will Smith, Yordano Ventura and others to the minor league side of the complex. At the end of the night, they also sent Brandon Wood, Christian Colon, Anthony Seratelli, Willy Taveras and Adam Moore to the minors. None are on the 40 man roster.

Feb 21, 2013; Surprise, AZ, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Christian Colon (72) poses for a picture during photo day at the Royals Spring Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Of those five, Colon may have had a slight shot at sneaking into the second base competition, but his own struggles combined with Johnny Giavotella and Chris Getz performing well wiped out any chance he may have had. He’ll man shortstop in Omaha alongside whichever second baseman loses the competition for the big league job. Colon got six hits in 27 at bats and walked once. Rob Neyer, who viewed a couple of Royals games in Arizona, wasn’t impressed with his range at shortstop, which matches what a lot of the scouting reports suggest.

Wood should be Omaha’s everyday third baseman barring any injury to Mike Moustakas. After striking out in four of his first eight at bats, he’s only done so four more times in the next 23, and drove in the only two runs the Royals scored on Monday night. He’s probably going to show a lot of power in Omaha, which is friendly to right-handed batters, but he’s not a secure option if he gets pressed into action. He had a .323/.344/.677 line in 17 games.

Seratelli didn’t get a lot of hits but he’s gotten on base this spring with six walks to go with his five hits. The .208 average looks bad but the .367 on base percentage is nice. He can play anywhere he’s asked and will be a valuable utility player for the Storm Chasers. He’s got a good story about his path to this point as well.

Taveras is insurance for an outfield that has some question marks. Lorenzo Cain is hitting so well that it’s not a question of ability to be the everyday center fielder, but more a question of his durability over the course of a season. Jeff Francoeur is hoping to rebound but not having a good spring at the plate, and Jarrod Dyson is most likely a fourth outfielder. David Lough should be the first man called up if something happens, but Taveras, who had 13 hits in 17 Cactus League games, is another speedy option.

Moore showed some power in camp, but he’s going to fall victim to the logistics game. George Kottaras and Brett Hayes are playing well enough to keep him away as well, so Moore will be in Omaha splitting time with Manuel Pina. He’d been outrighted to Triple A previously in the winter.

That drops the Royals roster down to 39 players. Seven of those – Atahualpa Severino, George Sherrill, Dan Wheeler, Miguel Tejada, Max Ramirez, Endy Chavez and Xavier Nady – are non-roster invitees. Sherrill is recovering from Tommy John surgery, Nady is fighting foot issues, and only Tejada is expected to make the team.

Were you surprised by who they selected? Well most were and some hadn’t even heard of him.

Shortstop Christian Colon was the Royals selection out of Cal State Fullerton. He had a good bat in college and with Team USA and was a leader of both of those teams. However, he was not considered a first round selection (or at least that high). The Royals selected him because they did not have a shortstop prospect in their system, but mainly because he would sign quickly and for slot money.

Colon did sign quickly and began his professional career in High-A Wilmington that summer, where he more than held his own (.278 average in 60 games).

Then the Royals traded for Alcides Escobar and Colon stalled in Double-A in 2011. Colon played second base for the first time in the Arizona Fall League in 2011 and proved he could be a plus defender at that position.

He returned to NW Arkansas in 2012 and hit .289 over 73 games. He scored 33 runs and drove in 27, mainly batting 1-2 in the order. He also walked (31) more than he struck out (27). Those numbers earned him a spot on the Texas League All-Star team. They also earned him a promotion to Triple-A.

With Omaha, Colon went 7-for-17 (.415) in five games before fouling a bunt off his face, which ended his season. He began play in the Puerto Rican Winter League yesterday (0-for-5) to make up some at-bats.

Colon has some speed, as he has stolen 32 bases over his career. However, he has been caught stealing 18 times.

In 2012, Colon played more games at shortstop (58) than second base (18). He made 17 errors at short in Double-A in 231 chances and did not make an error in Triple-A (in 17 chances). He did not make any errors at second base at either level (in 88 chances).

MLB.com has Colon keeping with the 11 ranking. Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star has Colon coming in at number 14. With Johnny Giavotella’s struggles with the bat at the big league level, the door is WIDE open for Colon to steal the second base job in 2013. If not, he will be back in Omaha switching between shortstop and second base, waiting for his opportunity.

The Royalman Report - logo by @AHairOffSquare

We’re back on at our normal time of 7 p.m. CST tonight and talking about the state of the Royals in the post-Yuni era.

The key topics for tonight include, where to find starting pitching for next year (and if that means digging someone out of the bullpen), developing pitching in the minors and the awesomeness of recent minor league performances. To help us out, we’ll talk with Kings of Kauffman’s Kevin Scobee, our resident pitching guru.

We’ll also talk about home runs. The Royals hit a lot on the recent road trip, inspiring discussion of how close Billy Butler might get to breaking Steve Balboni‘s 1985 team record. Mike Moustakas is within striking distance of 20-25 as well.

We should also get to talking about Bubba Starling, Christian Colon and more.

The chat room and livestream broadcast will be below for you to chime in and interact with us in the studio as well as fellow listeners:

The Royalman Report is brought to you by Kelly’s Westport Inn at 500 Westport Road in Kansas City, Missouri.  Tell them the Royalman Report sent you.

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Jake Odorizzi pitched well for the Storm Chasers, but ended up with the no-decision. He allowed two runs on four hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out four.

Irving Falu and Adam Moore each collected two hits, while Wil Myers went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

Whit Merrifield leading off on Opening Night for Wilmington

Down 4-2 heading into the bottom of the 8th inning, NW Arkansas scored two runs in that inning and walked off winners over Midland, 5-4. With one out, the newest Natural, Whit Merrifield doubled. After an intentional walk, Kevin Kouzmanoff flied out, moving the runners up a base. So with two outs, Manny Pina delivered the game winner, an RBI single to center.

Merrifield had an eventful first game in Double-A. He homered in the 5th inning with two outs off a former foe, Sonny Gray (who dominated in his time at Vanderbilt). Plus, he scored the game winning run.

The Naturals bullpen duo of Buddy Baumann and Ryan Dennick combined to throw five scoreless innings of relief. They allowed one hit and three walks while striking out six.

Wilmington was blasted by Winston-Salem, 8-0. The Blue Rocks were out-hit 13-3. Geulin Beltre collected two of the hits and also threw a runner out from right field at second base.

The Blue Rocks were sloppy, as they made two errors along with a passed ball. The Dash also stole five bases.

Kane County lost their first game in Clinton, 6-2. Both teams collected eight hits, but the Cougars’ hits were all singles. Jorge Bonifacio and Dean Espy each collected two hits.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Burlington’s 7-1 loss to Danville.

Yem Prades in 2011 with Wilmington

NW Arkansas ended their six-game losing streak by winning the finale against Tulsa, 3-2. The Naturals have won just four games in the month of July.

After watching the Drillers come back and tie the game in the top of the 8th inning, Yem Prades hit a solo homerun in the bottom of the inning with two outs to retake the lead. Juan Gutierrez retired the Drillers in order to pick up his second save.

Ryan Dennick‘s solid start was negated by the late inning comeback by Tulsa. He did not allow a run over 5.2 innings. He allowed three hits and two walks while striking out six.

Over the last two days, the Naturals have lost two players to retirement. Catcher Jason Kendall retired on Tuesday and first baseman John Whittleman retired on Wednesday. The Whittleman retirement allowed the Naturals to activate shortstop Christian Colon from the DL. He went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

The big story in Wilmington was the start by Frederick’s Dylan Bundy (and his curveball). Too bad the game was suspended with two outs in the bottom of the 3rd inning due to the thunderstorms that swept through the Northeast. The Blue Rocks had just one baserunner against Bundy, a walk by Geulin Beltre.

Matt Ridings started opposite Bundy and allowed two hits and a walk over three shutout innings. He struck out four. The game will be completed in Frederick when Wilmington travels there later in the season (the Keys do not return to Wilmington).

With over 7,000 fans in attendance, Kane County lost at home to Wisconsin, 4-0. Two Cougars errors in the Timber Rattlers three-run top of the 8th inning cost them two runs.

The KC Royals top pick in this June’s draft, Kyle Zimmer, made his first start for the Cougars, but unfortunately picked up the loss. He allowed one run on five hits over four innings. He struck out five. Fellow 2012 draft pick Andrew Triggs followed Zimmer with three scoreless innings of relief. He allowed just one hit while striking out five.

Bubba Watch: Bubba Starling went 1-for-4 with a two-run double with two outs in the top of the 2nd inning, as Burlington beat Pulaski, 9-2. The Royals had two 4-run innings.

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Aaron Crow (43) against the Oakland Athletics Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

There isn’t much else we can say about our beloved Royals.  They lost 12 straight games and completed a winless season opening home stand.  Their lack of timely hitting and an inconsistent bullpen have combined for a disastrous start to the 2012 season.  I’ve had enough of discussing what’s going wrong and who’s to blame.  That’s why I’d like to focus my attention on a few bright spots in recent years.  I’m talking about the MLB draft and the solid job the Royals have done in drafting their talent.  With the MLB first-year player draft looming merely a month away, I’d like to recap the past 5 first round picks and evaluate them now as well as what their future might hold.

2007

First, let’s look at 2007 first rounder Mike Moustakas.  A highly-touted high school kid out of Chatsworth, CA, Moustakas was drafted 2nd overall and signed on the deadline of August 15 for $4 million dollars.  Moustakas garnered some accolades in the minor leagues, including being named the 2010 Texas League Player of the Year.  Moose has been a top prospect entering every season in his professional career.  He has started off this season very well and has produced at the plate and on defense.  He will always have a tremendous amount of power and there was a question about his glove.  Thus far, he has shown vast improvement in the field and I like the way he has adjusted to major league pitching.  He’s not getting himself out nearly as much as he was last year.  Moose should put together a few 40+ homerun seasons when all is said and done and earn  himself a few All-Star bids as well.  It has always seemed it’s taken him a little while to adjust to each level, and it’s finally looking like he is coming around at the major league level on a consistent basis.

2008

In 2008, the Royals took American Heritage High School star, Eric Hosmer.  We all know how good this kid is, but there was a time he struggled early in his professional career.  It wasn’t until he had vision correction surgery that his career took off at the plate.  He hit so well in early 2011, the Royals were practically forced to call him up to Kansas City.  He finished 3rd in the American League Rookie of the Year voting and is well on his way to a phenomenal career.  He should have a similar career path as Cincinnati Reds first baseman, Joey Votto.  Hosmer will most likely play in multiple All-Star games and find himself in the top 10 in MVP voting in the prime of his career.  The Royals did a great job of drafting the corner of their infield for several years to come in back-to-back drafts.

*Also in the supplemental first round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery.

2009

Aaron Crow was selected 12th overall by the Royals in the summer of 2009.  He had been previously drafted by the Washington Nationals in the first round of the 2008 draft but elected not to sign.  Crow had a rocky road to the majors, but has found a calling in a bullpen role.  He was named an All-Star last year as a reliever, but it’s yet to be determined if Crow could find a home in the starting rotation anytime during his career.  While it certainly is a possibility, I think the closer role is a likely landing spot for the former Mizzou standout.  I have faith that he could be a dominant closer for several years as we hope the Royals find themselves in contention for a playoff spot.

2010

Christian Colon was the least impressive pick of the past 5 years.  I’m not sold on the fact that Colon is a first round talent.  I don’t think he will ever be much more than a Carlos Febles type at second base.  He is certainly not going to translate to a shortstop at the major league level, which is what he was at Cal-State Fullerton.  Currently, Colon is batting .271 with 1 homerun and 7 RBI for Double-A Northwest Arkansas.  He could find his own and be a quality major league player, but I think it’s more reasonable to expect him to be a utility guy at best for several seasons.

2011

The most recent pick was Bubba Starling.  Starling was chosen 5th overall out of Gardner Edgerton High School in 2011.  At the time of the pick, many people were in favor of the selection.  I for one, was all in favor of drafting Bubba.  I think he is loaded with immense amounts of raw talent.  It will take some seasoning for him to fully tap into his potential, which means his path to the show could be 4 or more years before he is finally called up.  Once he is up, his ability will be limitless.  He very well could be an MVP candidate for several seasons with Kansas City.  I think at the very least, he will be a mainstay in centerfield and a top contributor for what we hope is a contending team.  I will be anxiously awaiting the day that Bubba is in the middle of the order with Hosmer and Moose.

I find the MLB draft very entertaining and am anxiously awaiting this year’s draft.  The Royals have had their fair share of busts, but lately they have been selecting top notch talent and forking out the money to get these players signed.  When the draft creeps a little closer I will have a preview of who the Royals could end up taking and examine some of those players.  Let’s just hope they select a Hosmer and not another Chris Lubanski.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Jordan McLaughlin on Twitterto be notified each time he posts a story.

The wacky Puffy Taco mascot of the San Antonio Missions AA Baseball team

The first thing you need to know about the Naturals’ road trip to San Antonio is that they were confronted with possibly the wackiest mascot in baseball.  Nuttier than the Flying Squirrel in Richmond, VA; loonier than the Lansing, MI Big Lug Lugnut; much cuter than Gnate the Sand Gnat of Savannah; and equally as crazy as the Sushi Rolls of Vancouver, Canada.  You’ll almost never see him on a list of the most off-the-wall minor league characters, but I’m smitten with the mascot of the San Antonio Mission’s (the AA affiliate of the San Diego Padres), the Puffy Taco and his trusty companion, Ballapeño.  And don’t forget their best friend H.E.Buddy, the grocery bag mascot (yes, grocery bag) from the dominant local grocery store chain H.E.B.

Once you get past the kitschy trappings of minor league baseball, they actually play some fun games that are meaningful – at least to the players and the fans of players with high potential that we expect to eventually see in the majors.   And that’s the reason you’re reading this story right now.

I wish I could give you a sunshine and roses report of the Naturals performance, but that wouldn’t be the truth.  So, what I’m going to do is offer you is my list of “takeaways” from the game, both good and bad.

Here’s my first takeaway, and you aren’t going to like it.  Will Myers was not impressive.  Not at all.  I only saw him play one game, but he looked completely lost at the plate and nothing like the guy who tore up the Arizona Fall League a few months ago.  In the first inning he struck out swinging on 3 pitches (and looked bad doing it) immediately after the first two batters of the game hit solid singles up the middle and we needed him to move the runners.  In his second at bat he popped straight up to the catcher.  He struck out again in another at bat.  The only hit he received in 5 at bats was against a pitcher who was on the ropes, following a long delay and a coach’s visit to the mound, he squirted a broken bat single over the second baseman’s head.  Not an impressive day’s work for Mr. Myers.

The Naturals Christian Colon waits for a pitch while Wil Myers looks on from the on deck circle. April 9, 2012 CREDIT: Alan Barrington

On the other hand, on this particular day Christian Colon looked every bit the player and leader the Royals selected him to be.  He was 4 for 4 at the plate, and every hit was a ringing line drive.  He turned two nearly identical outstanding defensive plays in the field, running hard to his right, backhanding a ground ball before it could escape into left field, and throwing back across his body to force a fast runner at second base.  When Tim Melville, the Naturals starting pitcher, threw five straight balls to begin the game, Colon didn’t wait to act.  He showed leadership on the field, called time out and went to the mound alone to calm Melville down.  It must have worked, Melville didn’t give up a run and only allowed 3 hits, 1 walk (the first batter of the game), and 6 strikeouts in 5 innings pitched.

Colon stole second, only his first stolen base of the season, but when I describe the play I think you’ll agree he needs to make more attempts.  After he stole second base, he stood up and I probably could have counted three Mississippi’s before the ball arrived from the catcher.  Colon got an absurd jump on the pitch and made the Mission’s battery look like they were chasing shadows.

One other thing about Christian Colon – Baseball Reference says he’s 6’ 1” tall.  I didn’t take a measuring tape onto the field, but he doesn’t look anything close to that in my opinion.  But if you think his size might indicate he isn’t tough, consider this – He was hit by a pitch, and I don’t think he made any attempt to move out of the way.  Christian ended the night reaching base five times in five at bats.  I love the toughness and the willingness to do anything necessary to get on base and give his team a chance to win.

The Naturals starting pitcher Tim Melville warms up prior to the game. April 9, 2012. CREDIT: Alan Barrington

Tim Melville started the game on the mound for the Naturals and I didn’t know much about him before the game.  But this week I learned he knows how to mix his pitches and can make the opposing hitters chase balls in the dirt.  Unfortunately, I didn’t find the radar gun readout in the stadium until late in the game (it was lost in the sea of advertising signs on the outfield wall), so I don’t know how fast he was throwing, but he was definitely fooling people and pulling the string on occassion.

I was very impressed with the defensive play of light hitting second baseman Sharlon Schoop.  He made a fantastic play moving hard toward the right field line, throwing himself into a headlong dive, and came up firing a bullet to nail the runner at first.  It was “Frank Whitesque” and the best defensive play of the night.  However, I wish I had positive comments about the rest of his game.  He wandered two far off second and was nearly picked off by a snap throw from the catcher.  (How embarrassing would that be to get picked off second by the catcher?)  He struck out on a ball that was nearly over his head which got the crowd excited and a few of the drunk Missions fans sitting near me taunted him with a few choice words on his walk back to the dugout.  I considered joining them.

A few more miscellaneous notes:

• Melville was replaced on the mound by Elisaul Pimentel.  Pimentel got rocked and only lasted 2/3 of an inning.
• Catcher Ryan Jenkins did a good job of going with a tough pitch and poking it up the middle for a base hit to drive in 2 runs.
• Third Baseman Kurt Mertins laid down a picture perfect sacrifice bunt to move two runners, then hustled down the line and beat the throw to first on an error to load the bases.
• Edinson Rincon let a ball play him in left field.  He ran in to field a ball that was about to land in front of him, thought of diving for it (I think he could have gotten to it if he had committed rather than hesitating), changed his mind and backed off.  The ball bounced past him, but he was able to get it back to the infield before the runner could advance to second.
• Some of the guys I really wanted to see didn’t make it into the game: Promising pitchers Chris Dwyer, Noel Arguelles, Jake Odorizzi, and catcher Ben Theriot.  And of course, pitcher John Lamb is still recovering from surgery so it will be a couple more months before anyone has a chance to see him play.

Noel Arguelles, the only Naturals player on the Royals 40 man major league roster. April 9, 2012 CREDIT: Alan Barrington

This team doesn’t appear to be full of superstars in-waiting as the Naturals of the past two years have been.  But there is talent here that the fans of Northwest Arkansas will enjoy watching this Summer, and in particular a pitching staff that has the ability to completely shut down the opposing team on any given night.  Maybe I’ll get lucky and see some of those guys take the mound the next time I get to see the Naturals play.

Thanks for visiting Kings of Kauffman. You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed.  You can also send your questions to our mailbag at KoKMailbag@gmail.com and follow Alan Barrington on Twitter to be notified each time he posts a story and receive his incredibly insightful sports commentary.

At this point during the rebuilding process the Royals had been drafting high picks with high upsides, capitalizing on their misfortunes in Major League standings by picking players with skills that they couldn’t normally acquire. It was one of the great traits of this Royals regime compared to the regimes of the past where standout tools actually took precedent over probability. Tools, that wouldn’t ordinarily be available to the organization in the open market, were available if they were willing to pay for them, in the draft. (more…)

Fans and writers tend to agree on the potential of success for players like Wil Myers or Mike Montgomery and usually there isn’t much disparity of opinion about other first round picks like Aaron Crow or Mike Moustakas. There are differences in the degree of success expected, sure, but Colon, 2009′s first round pick and fourth overall, has supporters who think he’ll be a good major leaguer and those who think that he isn’t anything special.

Clipped from: kingsofkauffman.com (share this clip)

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At 5’8″ and 185 pounds, it’s not an outrageous question, until you end up seeing him on the field.

But despite that small stature, Giavotella rapped out nearly 200 hits as a pro in 2011, including 44 at the big league level.

Clipped from: kingsofkauffman.com (share this clip)

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The Royalman Report, LIVE Sundays at 7 pm CST

There was quite a bit to discuss this week on the Royalman Report, and to help us cover everything, we welcomed Clint Scoles of Pinetar Press back as our guest in the third segment.

Clint had been down in Arizona observing Royals prospects in the instructional league as well as Arizona Fall League play. We discussed Christian Colon, Wil Myers, Yem Prades, Bubba Starling and more.

We also touched on a discussion about how much a player’s character might matter in scouting and drafting, as well as how age might play into such a discussion. We also talked about Johnny Giavotella‘s hip surgery and what it means down the line, what if the Royals made the World Series, what kind of moves might go on in Major League Baseball – in short, we talked about a little bit of everything.

Also there was a new Fake Ned Minute as well as an appearance by iPhone’s Siri. Sort of.

Next week, we have a special guest as Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, will join us to discuss the approaching celebration of Buck O’Neil’s 100th birthday.

Click the embedded player below to listen to this week’s show or you can download the mp3.

If you want your business featured during breaks on the Royalman Report, contact us at 816-394-9578 or email royalmanreport@gmail.com.  

Kelly's in Westport - official sponsor of the Royalman Report

If you’re the type that prefers to see the in-studio video stream…check it out below:

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Myers leads all Royals hitters taking place in offseason leagues with a 1.214 OPS.  He also leads all hitters in base hits, walks, runs scored, RBI and extra base hits. He’s taking advantage of the opportunity to get in more time in the outfield as well, logging an outfield assist at the plate. It’s an encouraging sign after he hit .254/.351/.393 in Northwest Arkansas as a 20-year-old.

Outfielder Lorenzo Cain has also put up good numbers, with seven hits in his first 19 at bats in the Venezuelan League.

Other Royals in offseason leagues:

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Royals prospects join those of the Rays, Braves, Marlins and Rangers to form the Surprise Saquaros.

They play their fourth game tonight after winning their first three. Not every Royal has seen action, but early on, Wil Myers has had the best showing, going 3-8 with a homer and three RBIs. He’s also walked twice.

Other Royals AFL performances:

Anthony Seratelli: 0-2 with two walks.
Christian Colon: 2-10 with a double.
Bryan Paukovits: 1 IP, 1 BB 1 K 0 ER
Brendan Lafferty: 1 IP 0 ER

Nathan Adcock and Jeremy Jeffress, the only two Royals in Surprise with major league experience, have not made it into a game.

You can stay current on all the Kings of Kauffman content and news by following us on Twitter, Facebook, or by way of our RSS feed. 

Wil Myers, Nate Adcock, Christian Colon and Clint Robinson are the headliners, with an quirky age range of 20 years old (Myers) to Robinson (26).

They’ll be joined by pitchers Jeremy Jeffress, Bryan Paukovits and Brendan Lafferty.

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John Lamb (19) and Tim Smith (24) during pre-game warmups.

As most of you are probably aware, Saturday marked a special event when, following the Royals victory over the Angels, the field became populated with prospects from Double A Northwest Arkansas and Triple A Omaha.

For the crowd who stuck around, the game itself wasn’t quite the epic battle some may have hoped for, but that’s not to overlook the significance of that afternoon.  Somewhere between five and seven thousand fans (that’s a, pardon the pun, ballpark guess) got to see Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Wil Myers, John Lamb, Mike Montgomery and others take the field at Kauffman Stadium.

The stands were abuzz before the game with those lingering being invited to come down into the field levels to find seats.  Fans pointed out Myers and Christian Colon.  Mario Lisson came over to say hello to some fans.

As for the game itself:

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If you follow the Royals on Twitter, you have to know about KC Royalman. Occasionally you’ll see him highlighted on a Royals broadcast – he’s the guy in the blue tights and the cape who loves the Royals.

For a while now, he and I have been kicking around the idea of putting together a podcast and the time is now to introduce you to the show.

You can download it directly HERE or at Royalman’s site – Royalman Report – where he’ll have updates on future guests and topics.

Sunday night, we were fortunate to get 2010 1st round pick Christian Colon as the first guest of the show and he was a great interview.  I think fans will really like him when he gets up here.

Among other things, we also talked about the pitching staff, spring training stats, and some expectations for the upcoming season.

The Royalman Report can be heard live on Sundays from 7-8 p.m. CST.

(note: had issues with the embedded player – hopefully that’ll be worked out by next show)

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I figure it’s a good time to get caught up on a few things that have been happening over the past few days.  Kila Ka’aihue is killing the ball.  Mike Aviles is looking like 2008 was the real deal, and Alex Gordon…well he’s walking a lot, at least.

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It’s significant because a few big-time prospects will get a taste of major league spring training action.  With all the talk about prospects all winter, getting a chance to see some of them (at least in the boxscore in my case) who weren’t original invitees is exciting.

The notable additions to today’s lineups are:

Today vs. Arizona:

• Wil Myers
• Christian Colon
• Kurt Mertins
• Geulin Beltre
• Tim Smith
• Paulo Orlando

Tonight vs. San Diego:

• Brett Eibner
• Nick Francis
• Jamie Romak
• Rey Navarro
• Alex McClure
• Adrian Ortiz

As David Holtzman points out, all ten of the Royals top prospects are in camp today and could end up in games.  Maybe they’ll only get an at bat or two, or just be defensive replacements, but if Myers goes yard or Colon has a solid at bat, or Eibner hits a 450-foot bomb, it’s just going to ratchet up the acclaim the prospects have already received this offseason.

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If you haven’t read the Breakdown of Prospects yet, do yourself a favor, print it out, take a trip to your – ahem – favorite spot and do so. Michael does an amazing job outlining everything you could ever want to know about the State of the System. He does such a good job, it makes you wonder what exactly the guy does with his free time other than take notes and read various baseball mags. (That’s for calling me a “California Guy”, Engel.) (more…)

The Royals crop of minor league players may be the most talented in recent history.  That’s according to Baseball America’s annual prospect rankings, which place nine Royals in their top 100.

Nine prospects from one organization is a record in the 22 years that BA has been doing the top 100.

Who made the cut?  You probably won’t be surprised.

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Things have started to turn a little though as for the first time we can start to see the talent of the system make its way up to the top, and names can start to be plugged in to certain positions for three, four, or five years down the road. What’s also interesting is that at this time the Royals and fans alike are starting to talk just as much about the second wave of players as they are the first. Which begs the question: what second wave player might be replacing a first?

Spotlight, Johnny Giavotella. (more…)

Rankings:
~ Baseball America: #6
~ Royals Prospects: #7
~ Royals Review: #9
~ Kevin Goldstein: #8
~ John Sickels: #11 B

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Rankings:
~ Baseball America: #12
~ Royals Prospects: #11
~ Royals Review #13
~ Kevin Goldstein: #9
~ John Sickels: #12 B-
~ Kings of Kauffman 2010 Rankings: #14
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To pass the time until spring training starts, how about you fill up part of your day by checking out some Royals related links out in the wild blue yonder that is the internet…

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We knew that was coming back around July.

But Jim Callis responded to an interesting question, and his answer was surprising. Not in a bad way but more in that “Wow. I…can’t believe I hadn’t noticed that before” way.

First, the question itself:

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Crediting a “willingness to spend large amounts of money in the draft and a solid player-development system” the Royals enjoy the deepest and most talented minor league system in baseball.  This distinction was one that Royals fans who follow the minors has been expecting since somewhere around May or June, but the validation feels good, doesn’t it?

In what must have been a difficult decision, Eric Hosmer was selected as the top prospect in the Royals system.
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UPDATE: Bob Dutton reports a few details: The deal contains a $2.75 million signing bonus, and is not a Major League contract, so he will not be on the 40 man roster.
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Also, it’s reported that Colon will report to High A Wilmington in about ten days.  Currently, the Blue Rocks have Rey Navarro stationed at shortstop after acquiring him from Arizona in early May for Carlos Rosa.

UPDATE: Dayton Moore is denying reports that there’s been a signing, but that the two sides are “getting closer” to an agreement. Bob Dutton suggests such a deal is close.

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The newest signings are (by round):
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Some scouting reports project he’ll stay at shortstop, some say his limited range will force him to move to second base.  He’ll jump above Jeff Bianchi and Rey Navarro once he signs to be the top shortstop prospect in the Royals system.

I’ll have more tomorrow on Colon, and if you were taking part in the Fansided MLB Draft chat this evening, you will know that Wally will definitely want to chime in on this pick.  (I hear he already bought the Pepto Bismol)

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